Flexible pipe joint



ug. 12 1924. I,

. W'. c. WHITE FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT Filed July S451. 1919 Patented itig. 12, 1924.

WALTER C. VJI-II'IE, OF PT'ISBUBGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL COUPLERS C0., .A GORFORATION F CALIFORNIA.

FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT.

Application. iledJuly 31, 1919.

To all LU/tom` t may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER C. vWHITE, citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Fipe Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved fieXible pipe joint especially designed for use in connection with fluidpressure systems and has as one of its principal objects to provide a metallic joint which will be dependably free of all leakage.

The invention has as a further object to provide an improved type of packing and wherein the joint will bei so constructed that the packing may be readily arrangedv in position within the joint.

A further object of the invention in this connection is to provide a packing which may be either compressible or subject to swelling due to liquid absorption or may possess both of these properties and wherein the packing will be equipped with a rigid core adapted to prevent either the compression or expansion of the packing to restrict or close the fluid passage therethrough. x

And the invention has as a. still lfurther object to provide a packing wherein the core thereof may be embodied in the construction of the packing at the time of its original manufacture or wherein, if preferred, the packing and core may .be constructed separately and assembled at the time the packing is placed within the joint.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

ln the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved joint disassembled, the parts, however, being in proper relativerxposition,

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the V joint assembled, and

Figure 3 is ya sectional view illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the joint of the present invention is of the ball and socket type'. The' ball is of sectional construc-.- tion and includes a substantially hemispherical body section, 10 with which, coacts Serial No. 314,506.

a cap section 11 conforming to the spherical contour of the body section. Formed through the body section is a Huid passage 12 at one end of which said section is formed with a pipe nipple 13. At the opposite end of said passage the body section is formed with a flat face 14 sur# rounded by lan annular beveled face or shoulder 15 at the periphery o f the section. VFormed through the section 11 of the ball to register with the passage 12 is a passage 16 flared toward its o uter end. The inner end portion of said passage is coun terbored to provide a recess or socket 17 opening upon a flat face 18 provided upon the section to confront the face 14 of the body section 10. The passages 12 and 16 are, as will be observed, arranged at substantially right angles to these flat faces.

Removably fitted between the sections 10 and 11 of the ball and enga-ged by the flat faces 14 and `18 thereof is a packing or gasket indicated as a whole at 19 and which is of a thickness to complete the spherical shape Vof the ball, the packing at its outer edge conforming to the spherical outline of the ball. As particularly illustrated in Figure 1, the body of this packing is formed in the shape of a ring which surrounds an annular nonfyielding core 2O about Vrwhich the body tightly fits. The core 20 is preferably constructed of metal and, as particularly brought out in Figure 2, is of a length conforming to the thickness of the packing body. Thel packing body may be constructed of (any approved material but in any event is either alone compressible or is compressible and also subject to swelling due to liquid absorption. In some instances it may be desired to employ a packing which is only compressible while under. other circumstances a packing which is compressible and also subject to. swelling will be found advantageous. K In the present instance I employ a packing of the latter character and it is now to be observed that the core 20 may be embedded in the packing as a component part thereof at the time the packing is originally manufactured while, if preferred, the core and packinglbody may be later assembled Vwhen the packingis brought into actualwuse. As particularly illustrated in Figure 2, the core 2O is of an internal diameter corresponding to the di- 'ameter of the passages 12 and 16 respectively and registers therewithj while the body of the packing extends to the periphery of the ball and overlies the shoulder 15. In this connection, it will be noted that the socket or recess 17 is of a diameter corresponding to the external diameter of the core.

Coacting with the ball is a socket therefor. This socket includes a socket cup 21 provided with a pipe nipple 22 corresponding to the nipple 13 of the ball and formed on 1 the cup is an annular flange 23 at the inner ner faces of the cup and nut are machinedv to snugly engage the ball so that a close fitting contact will be had between the ball and socket.

As will now be observed, the section 11 of the ball is free to move with respect to the section' 10 so that the section 11 is .thus

adapted to provide a follower for the packing 19. Consequently, fluid pressure will act against the follower to compress the packing body between the follower and the body section of the ball for feeding the packing body Voutwardly into firm contact with the socket wall. The shoulder 15 will` of course, assist inthis outward feeding of the packing body and owing to the presence of the shoulder a correspondingly increased area of the packing will be brought into engagement with the wall of the socketso that a'sealed joint will thus be provided between the ball and socket. As the follower is pressed' toward the bodyY section 10 of the ball to compress the-packing body, the core of the'packing` will'be slidably received within vthe recessl17 of the Vfollower and in thisconnection particular attention is now directed to the fact thatv this core will'prevent the 4packing body fromfrbeing compressedinto the registering passages 12 and 16 yof the ball to either restrict or obstruct these passages. A free flow of fluid medium through the joint will thus always be had` Upon the saturation of the packing body said body will swell toitself "bulge against the wall of the socket and, as in the instance of the compression of the packing body by the'follower, the core 20of the packing will, when thepackng-body so swells,'prevent the protrusion of the packing body into the registering passages of the'ball. `Swelling of the packing bodywill result in a tendency on the part thereof to separate the sections of the ball and forcibly urge these sections into close frictional contact with the wall of the socket to further provide a sealed joint between the socket and ball. This featurel is of particular advantage in that should the pressure acting against the follower be suddcnly relieved, the packing body will not contract or rebound from the wall of the socket to permit leakage. Since the. packing is entirely free with respect to the sections 10 and 11 of the ball it will be seen that the packing may be placed within the joint with a minimum of difficulty and in any instance where it is desired to renew the packing it will simply be necessary to disconnect the socket nut and cup when the old packing may be withdrawn and a new packing substituted therefor.

1n Figure 3 of the drawings` I have shown a slight modification ofthe invention. In this figure the body sect-ion of the ball of the joint is indicated at 29 and the coacting cap section at 30. The cup of the socket which receives the ball is indica-ted at 31 and the socket nut at 32. The body section 29 of the ball is formed with a passage 33, the inner end of which' is counterbored to provide a recess or socket 34. The section 30 of the ball is also formed with a passage 35 'registering with the' passage 33 and the inner end portion of this passage 35 is also counterbored to provide a socket or recess registering with the socket 34 and of equal diameter. Interposed between the ball sections is a packing indicated as a whole at 37. This packing is formed with an annular body identical with the body 19 of the packing employed in connection with the preferred construction and possesses similar qualities. In this modified construction, an elongated non-yielding core 38 is provided for the packing body. This core is preferably formed of metal and. like the core 2() of the packing j )reviously described, may be formed as a part of the packing at the time of original manufacture thereof or. if preferred, the packing body and core may be later assembled. The end portions of the core are slidably received one within the counterbore 34 of the body section of the ball and the other within the counterborc 36 of 'thef'section 30. space being provided for the movement of the core axially of these registering bores so that the section 30, which in the present instance as in the preferred construction provides a follower for thepacking, may shift to compress the packing between the ball sections and feed the packing to the wa ll of the socket for providinga sealed joint between the ball and socket. By employing an elongated core. the core acts to couple the body section of the ball and follower so that the follower vwill be positively shifted in unison with the body section when the ball is turned to exfi believed unnecessary.

treme angles within the socket. Otherwise, In a flexible pipe joint, a swelling packthis modified forni ot' the invention is identing unit having a rigidk core defining an ical with the preferred construction and fui opening through the packing and limiting 10 ther description of its details is accordingly the swelling of the packing in a direction tending to close said opening.

Having thus described the invention, what In testimony whereof I aflix my Signature. is claimed as new is: TALTER C. VHITE. [L s.] 

